(major spoilers for The Last of Sheia)
I'm surprised that Mary Rodgers would think the plot of The Last of Sheila is so complicated that she had to give up. There's a lot going on, but on a certain level, the plot is very simple. The Last of Sheila wouldn't do as well as a miniseries, where the audience has a chance to digest and ponder what has happened in between episodes. Agatha Christie has Miss Marple say in one of her novels something along the lines of, "Take away all the distracting trappings, and what actually happened?" In this case, what actually happened is that a guy whom everyone thinks is a jerk is dead, and the rich wife of an unsuccessful husband is dead. And one can go from there...
When you re-watch the film, the clues are everywhere. But the film is expertly done, and we fall for the misdirection over and over again.
My big beef with the plot is the completely independent second person who's responsible for the propeller being turned on. It's kind of waved away in the denouement, but it's too convenient and coincidental. The propeller part is very cinematic, and Dyan Cannon does a great job in the aftermath scene, but the whole thing should have been left on the cutting room floor. |
